To Save the Planet, Save the Seas

Dan Laffoley, marine vice chairman of the World Commission of Protected Areas at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has an excellent op-ed published on 26 December 2009 in the New York Times titled: To Save the Planet, Save the Seas.

He argues for a program similar to Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) (under which developing countries would be compensated for preserving forests, peat soils, swamps and fields that are efficient absorbers for carbon dioxide) for the world’s oceans.

Few people may realize it, but in addition to producing most of the oxygen we breathe, the ocean absorbs some 25 percent of current annual carbon dioxide emissions. Half the world’s carbon stocks are held in plankton, mangroves, salt marshes and other marine life. So it is at least as important to preserve this ocean life as it is to preserve forests, to secure its role in helping us adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Laffoley writes that the most efficient natural carbon sink is found not on land but in the ocean – a species of sea grass called the Posidonia oceanica, which forms vast “meadows” underwater.

Worldwide, coastal habitats like these are being lost because of human activity. Extensive areas have been altered by land reclamation and fish farming, while coastal pollution and overfishing have further damaged habitats and reduced the variety of species. It is now clear that such degradation has not only affected the livelihoods and well-being of more than two billion people dependent on coastal ecosystems for food, it has also reduced the capacity of these ecosystems to store carbon.

Coastal and marine habitats such as salt marshes, kelp forests and sea grass meadows should be protected and restored to mitigate climate change.

Managing these habitats is far less expensive than trying to shore up coastlines after the damage has been done. Maintaining healthy stands of mangroves in Asia through careful management, for example, has proved to cost only one-seventh of what it would cost to erect manmade coastal defenses against storms, waves and tidal surges.

Report of the Expert Committee on the Draft CMZ Notification

The report of the expert committee on the draft Coastal Management Zone notification, titled: Final Frontier, Agenda to protect the ecosystem and habitat of India’s coast for conservation and livelihood security, was delivered to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) on 16 July 2009.  The expert committee was chaired by M.S. Swaminathan and included Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences; J.M. Mauskar, Additional Secretary, MoEF, and Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

The full report can be viewed here.

The summary of the recommendations are:

• Let the CMZ Notification, 2008 lapse and incorporate amendments as recommended in the existing CRZ Notification, 1991 for better coastal management.
• Check violations to CRZ through improved space technology-enabled enforcement, strengthened institutions, and regulatory and legal reform.
• Enhance protection to fishing communities and families for habitat and livelihood security through amendments in the CRZ Notification.
• Resolve issues regarding the development and redevelopment of Mumbai, based on locale-specific amendments.
• Introduce regulations to manage the proliferation of ports along the coasts with possible impacts on the coastline by considering cumulative impacts of these developments.
• Introduce tighter standards for disposal of effluents into coastal waters so that these waters do not become cheaper alternatives to inland pollution management.
• Introduce new management regimes in the Andaman and Nicobar as well as Lakshadweep Islands after deliberation and discussion.
• Introduce any new protection regime – such as critically vulnerable coastal areas – after careful and deliberate understanding of the impact of conservation policies on local communities, particularly fisher families.
• Strengthen protection to mangroves based on clear definitions.
• Include the seaward side to ensure protection from current and future threats, but with safeguards to ensure there is no restriction to livelihoods of fishing communities.
• Introduce measures to greatly strengthen research and regulatory capacity at all levels.
• Introduce policies to cope with and adapt to the future dangers from sea level rise and increased vulnerability of the coasts.

Saving India’s Beaches: Dr. Sunita Narain, CSE, on Moratorium on New Ports – NDTV Report

July 22, 2009

Dr. Sunita Narain, Director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a member of an expert committee on coastal management (headed by M.S. Swaminathan and including Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences; and J.M. Mauskar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests), speaks about the acceptance by the Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, of the recommendations by the expert committee for a moratorium on new port development in India pending a study on the cumulative effects of all the existing ports in India.

Saving India’s Beaches: Jairam Ramesh’s Responses – NDTV Reports

June 22, 2009

In the report above, Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of Environment and Forest, declares his priority to ensure that the CMZ 2009 does not adversely affect the livelihood of fisher families as well as doing an inventory of port development.

July 7, 2009

In the video above, Vivekanandan, member of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), reports on his meeting with Jairam Ramesh.  In his meeting, the Minister has agreed that the CMZ, in it’s current form, will be allowed to lapse and a new process of dialogue with the fishing community will start, including 5 consultations across the coast (Chennai, Bhuvaneshwar, Cochin, Goa and Bombay) to provide feedback to help the ministry to re-work or improve the CRZ.

July 7, 2009

In the report above, NDTV interviews Jairam Ramesh and Probir Banerjee, President of PondyCAN.  Probir Banerjee speaks of the water and food security issues as a result of port and SEZ (Special Economic Zone) development.  Jairam Ramesh has commissioned a study of the overall, cumulative impacts of the port developments.

Goa’s Vanishing Coastline – NDTV Report

This report in the NDTV Series, Save India’s Beaches, deals with the loss of 60 meters of beaches in the years that a ship, the River Princess, ran aground off the coast of Goa, one of India’s primary beach tourism destinations.

The text of the report is here:

Goa’s vanishing coastline

Tejas Mehta

Sunday, June 14, 2009, (Goa)

One of the world’s most beautiful and popular stretches of white sand are the Goa beaches.

One stormy monsoon night in the year 2000, a 240 m long ship, River Princess, broke its anchor and got stuck here. Since then it hasn’t budged.

The result? Twenty thousand tonnes of rusting metal, on Goa’s famous beaches. This has led to an environmental disaster as these beaches are now almost on the verge of disappearing as the ship interferes with the natural movement of sand.

The Goa government has been accused of inaction, of doing little to remove this ship. Now, 9 years later, just before this monsoon, they seem to have woken up. The government is placing massive tubes, which they hope will serve as artificial sand dunes, like shock-absorbers between the land and the sea. Tubes that have cost Rs 6 crore.

Almost 10 metres into the seabed, the ship blocks sand that moves along the beach feeding it.

The National Institute of Oceanography in Goa says 60 metres of the beach, south of the ship has already disappeared.

The government even introduced a new law that enabled them to confiscate the ship.

But its owner, Anil Salgaoncar, an influential business tycoon and an independent MLA dragged them to court where the matter is still pending.

“It’s the result of 10 years of rank incompetence. And this is all over the country when it comes to management of the beaches. The government thinks they don’t have to put a single rupee,” said Claude Alvares, Director, Goa Foundation.

They have allowed this to consciously degrade and that is the shameful part.

But the damage is more widespread.

Scientists say, while Goa thrives on tourism, the industry is also responsible for coastal degradation.

With no one to monitor its 100 kms coast line sand dunes and vegetation on the beaches have been wiped off destroying much of the coasts’ natural defence system.

It is a situation that is distressing a 80-year-old Goan.

“This is not my Goa anymore. The glory of the old beaches is lost,” says Joseph Menezes, Resident, Goa.

Back at the Candolim beach, the beach is gone and tourists have reduced.

Now, this monstrous disaster where the silhouette of the ship can be seen as the wave crashes on shore, is the new attraction.

The carnival in Goa as they say just doesn’t stop.

CMZ a Threat to India’s Beaches – NDTV Report

June 13, 2009

The Government of India’s (GOI) proposal to replace the existing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) with the Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) has met with stiff resistence from the public.  (This post, dated May 20, 2008, outlines the objections to the CMZ from the perspective of the fishing communities.)

NDTV’s report – “New Coastal Policy Threatens Beaches” indicates that the GOI will soon be coming out with a revised notification soon based on public pressure.

The text of Sam Daniel’s report is given below.

New coastal policy threatens beaches
Sam Daniel, Maya Sharma
Saturday, June 13, 2009, (Chennai, Bangalore)

The livelihood of the fishermen and an entire stretch of coastline in Tamil Nadu is under threat. The tough Coastal Regulation Zone that protects beaches and sea side areas will soon be replaced by a diluted version called the Coastal Management Zone or the CMZ.

To begin with, this will lift the existing ban on construction within 500 metres from the high tide line. Instead there will be area specific guidelines which are not clear yet. Fishing communities are apprehensive of displacement, to make way for tourism or industrial development.

“Already every year the sea is coming into the land and actually we may need more area in future like say around 1000 foot. If this law comes we will be badly affected,” says a fisherman.

Even ecologically sensitive areas like mangrove forests could be cut down. This will be a disastrous move, given that when the tsunami struck in 2004 these mangroves actually saved hundreds of lives.

Environmentalists say this is a clear move to allow industrial activity in the garb of coastal management. They say this new law could actually legalise many corporate violations on our beaches.

Says environmentalist Sudarshan Rodriguez: “It allows recreation and tourism facilities to come in front of the set back line towards the sea. But when it comes to fishing settlements and other houses, these should come behind the setback line.”

A parliamentary standing committee too has recommended the CMZ to be kept in abeyance. Under pressure, the government says it will soon come out with a modified notification.

Says Minister of Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh: “We’ve set up a small team that will consult with all states and come up with a hybrid model having the best of both, something that will satisfy both sides.”

Since the tsunami they are fishing in troubled waters. But it is not just fishermen, saving our beaches is something each one of us need to be stakeholders in.

India’s Dying Beaches: Chennai Expressway – NDTV Report

The Tamil Nadu government’s solution to the 900 new cars hitting the streets of Chennai every day is to erect an elevated expressway along three beaches, one of which is a protected natural area.

The text of the report is below:

Sanjay Pinto

Tuesday, June 09, 2009, (Chennai)

If the Tamil Nadu government has its way, Chennai could have an elevated corridor from the Light House to the East Coast Road. It would be a 7.4 km, six-lane bridge coming up along three beaches in Chennai.

The model made by an NGO is a rough indication of what the world’s second longest beach — the Marina would look like, once the elevated corridor comes up.

But it’s a nightmare for environmentalists that has come to light through this final feasibility report of Tamil Nadu’s Highways department which NDTV has a copy of.

The Highways Department says the Rs 1000 crore project aims to decongest peak hour traffic because every day, at least 900 new vehicles hit the city’s roads.

But experts feel there are better ways of de-congesting the city like removing encroachments and improving the public transport system.

And environmentalists fear the expressway will pollute the beaches, displace fishing communities and endanger sensitive ecological zones.

“The Adyar creek is a protected area and has migratory birds and mangroves, which will be completely destroyed. It will also permanently destroy the nesting grounds of the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles,” said Swetha Narayan, coordinator, Save Chennai Beaches.

But with various citizens groups and environmentalists already up in arms, the project is bound to be mired in litigation even before it takes off.

Online Petition and SMS Campaign to Save India’s Beaches

In addition to its coverage of “The Death of India’s Beaches” and the subsequent series called “India’s Dying Beaches”, which has covered Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala and Gujarat so far, NDTV has started an online petition and SMS campaign to save India’s beaches.

To add your name to the petition, please enter your name and email id here or copy and paste this URL in your brower:  http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/new/Ndtv-Show-Special.aspx?ID=169  You may enter comments on the site.

Also SMS (India only)  “Beach. Your Name. Your Town.” to:  56388

Please “sign” the online petition and send your SMS to NDTV by Sunday, June 14.  NDTV will forward your messages to the relevant ministers after the conclusion of their series on Sunday.

Take action to Save India’s Beaches!

Gujarat’s Mangroves Under Threat – NDTV Report

June 8, 2009

The fourth report on NDTV’s “India’s Dying Beaches” series covers the destruction of a mangrove forest at Mundra, the site of India’s largest private port and Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which covers 60 kilometres of Gujarat’s coastline.  10,000 fisherfolk have lost their livelihoods due to the privatization of coastal property for port and allied developments.

The report highlights the gradual dilution of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), first established in 1989, with 21 ammendments to date, to allow such things as the storage of liquid natural gas (LNG) and petrochemicals within 500 metres of the coastline.  Incredibly, the environmental clearance authority for ports was transfered from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to the Ministry of Surface Transport and Shipping – a clear conflict of interest!

The text of the report is found below:

Gujarat’s mangroves under threat
Tejas Mehta
Monday, June 08, 2009, (Mundra)

Gujarat, the state which has India’s longest coastline is home to one of the country’s largest ports and special economic zone. One which will occupy over 60 kms of the coast.

This is the stark reality of what is happening here in Gujarat, at one of India’s largest ports. Hundreds and hundreds of mangroves hacked with complete disregard and apathy in a zone that is high eco-sensitive and protected.

The strip of land was originally part of the port plan but later dropped because of mangroves. A crucial cover that protects the coast from erosion and storms.

An example of how much of the development on our coasts takes place haphazardly. Unlike in the West where port projects are based on environment studies and rights of coastal communities is respected.

Ironically, 20 years ago India came out with forward looking policy — the Coastal Regulation Zones or CRZs.

In 1989, CRZ was introduced before UN’s Climate Change Convention, but since then the CRZ policy has undergone 21 changes effectively diluting it.

So, now rural land 200 metre from the sea is no longer a no-development zone. Now, storage facilities for LNG and petrochemicals are allowed.

Then the environmental clearance authority for ports was transferred from the Ministry of Forests to the Ministry of Surface Transport and Shipping.

As a result regulator and regulated became one.

A conflict of interest ensued since the regulator and the regulated became the same. At Mundra port a top government official had warned against damage to the coast.

A 2006 report used satellite pictures to issue this warning:

The Adani Private Port at Mundra and other projects pose a threat to the neighbouring mangroves. Controversy regarding the gradual and smooth destruction of mangroves near Mundra was raised again and again. The industrial development.. has already caused serious damage and the process of degradation continues by intentional and unintentional approach of the industries,” wrote H S Singh, former Chief Conservator of Forests (Research), Gujarat.

“They first blocked the creek, stopped the water from flowing in. The mangroves died and they dumped dredged sand on it. Following which, they tell the government the land is ‘unsurveyed wasteland’, give it to us,” said Bharat Patel, Marine Environmentalist.

Allegations, the Adani group has denied in the past.

But the worst hit over 10,000 fishermen. Today with coastal belt sold to the port their livelihood is gone.

“We kill fish, we eat fish. Fish is our only source of livelihood. We want the sea and the shore. Nothing else,” said Haroon Siddique, fisherman.

“The industrialists are happy. But one day the government will have to think about us. We will fight till death. We won’t leave them,” said Ibrahim Majalia, fisherman.

Core of that battle perhaps, already lost.

8 June: Gathering to Celebrate World Oceans Day at 6pm on Beach Road in Pondicherry

Pondicherry People’s Protection Committee is organizing an informal gathering to celebrate World Oceans Day at 6pm on June 8, 2009, in front of the Gandhi statue on Beach Road (Goubert Salai) in Pondicherry.

This year’s theme is:  “one ocean, one climate, one future.”

Please come and join the citizens of Pondicherry in taking a pledge to protect the oceans:

I promise to protect the World Ocean as it is critical to maintaining our planet’s ecosystem and essential to human health, well-being and survival. I shall not pollute the ocean with my garbage, sewage water and industrial effluents or disturb the ocean’s ecosystem and the beaches.